Veneer-drier.



PATENTED JAN. 30, 1906.

W. M. SCHWARTZ.

' VENEER DRIER. APPLIOAIION FILED JULY 29, 1905.

UNITED sra rnsggagrn r enrich,

WALTER M. SCHWARTZ, OF PHILADELPHIA, PENNSYLVANIA.

.WENEEN DWIEW- are. 81 1,4.4 6.

Specification of Letters Patent. 7 Application filed July 29, 1905. Berlal No. 271',747.

Patented Jan. 30, 1906.

To all whom it may-concern:

Be it known that I, WALTER M. SCHWARTZ, a citizen of the United States, residing in Philadelphia, Pennsylvania, have invented certain Im rovements in Veneer-Briers, of.

which the ollowing-is a'specification.

The object of my invention is to rovide a machine for rapidly and eifectivey drying strips or sheets of wood veneer without causing the same to warp, curl, or be otherwise distorted. This object I attain in the manner hereinafter set forth, reference bein had to the accompanying drawings, in whic Figure 1 is a view, partly in plan and partly in section, of a veneer-drying machine constructed in accordance with my invation, partly in' section, on the bottom 3, and top 4, so as to form a dryingchamber, through which pass conveyenbelts of wire-gauze, perforated sheet metal, or other foraminous material, between whose adjoining runs the stri s or sheets of wood veneer are confined uring their passage from'one end of thebox to the other, being subjected during such passage to the action ofgcurrents of heated air which pass through the drying-chamber. In the present instance I have shown three a rons 5, 6, and 7,

mounted u on drums 8 at t e opposite ends of the mac ine, said drums being so located that both the up er and lower runs of the central apron 6 wi 1 pass through the dryingchamber, the u per run of said apron 6 c0- acting with the ower run of the upper apron 5 and the lower run of said apron 6 coacting with the upper run or the lower apron 7, the upper run 0 the apron 5 extending over the top of the box and the lower run of the apron 7 extending under the bottom of the box, so that only the o erative runs of the a rons are contained wit 'n the drying-chem er, and the dimensions of the latter can therefore be reduced to a minimum.

At each side of the drying-chamberis an inclosed heating-chaniber 9, these chambers wood veneer strips or s containing banks or" steam-c0ils 10 or other equivalent air-heating devices, and in the opposite side walls of the drying-chamber casing are formed openings for the reception of rotary fans 11, which are arranged first on one side of the chamber and then on the other side of the same and are driven so as to direct the currents of heated air from the chambers 9 first across the drying-chamber in one direction and then in the opposite direction. Hence there is no tendency to dry the veneer strips or sheets at one side of the conveyer more thoroughly than those at the other side of the same, as there would be if the currents of heated air were carried across the drying-chamber in one direction only. As the air absorbs moisture from the strips or sheets of veneer it is advisable to remove it from the machine. Hence I locate at intervals along the top of the drying-box suctionpipes 12, each provided with exhaust-fan 13, two of these pipes being shown in the present instance, fresh air to take the place of that thus drawn off from the drying-chamber entering with the conveyer-aprons or through the other openin s always to be found in the casing of a madhine of this character, although special dampered openings in said casing to maintain and re ulate such supplies of fresh air may be provi ed, if desired.

In order to prevent curling or warping of the stri s or sheets of veneer while the same are un er treatment, I support the upper runs of the intermediate and lower a rons 5 and 7 upon slats 14, suitably mounts in the drying-chamber, and similar slats may be located above the lower runs of the aprons 5 and 6, if desired, as shown at the top of Fig. 5. I prefer, however, to locate between successive slats pairs of transverse rollers 15, the upper roller of one pair being above the lower run of one apron and the other beneath the up or run of the cooplerating apron, as shown in i s. 2 and 4, so t at not only is the upper run 0 either apron 6 or 7 prevented from sagging in any part, but the lower run of either a ron 5 or 6 is likewise prevented from being lifted in any part, as by the tendency of the sets to'warp, curl, or twist in their passage through the machine. The slats and rollers thips aid the tension of the aprons in maintaim g the strips or sheets of veneer in a flat condition during the drying operation.

The method of mounting and driving the placed between thelower run of the upper Y apron and the upper run of the intermediate apron 6 and are firmly confined between them while passing through the machine from end to end, being during such passage acted upon by the streams of hot air which are caused to circulate from side to side of the drying-chamber and above' and below the veneer-carrying runs of the aprons. After passing through the machine in one direction the strips or sheets of veneer are then passed through the machine in the opposite direction by being fed between the lower run of the intermediate apron and the upper run of the lower apron, so that when the emerge from between these aprons at .the elivery end of the machine they will be thorou hly dryand seasoned, the restraint to whic they have been subjected during their entire passage through the machine eflf'ectually preventing any warp, twist, or curl, so that the strips or sheets when delivered are in the flat condition, which is desirable.

I may in some cases only locate the rollers 15 on one side of the operativeruns of the aprons and the slats 14. on the other side, as shown at the lower portion of Fig. 5; but it is preferable to locate the rollers both above and below the conveyer-runs of the aprons.

Havin thus described my invention, I claim an desire to secure by Letters Patent 1. A veneerdrying machine having, in combination, a'drying-chamber casin means for carrying the strips or sheets 0 veneer through said chamber and retaining them in a flattened condition during-such travel ,and

- means for causing assage of air across said flattened strips or s eets of veneer in a direction transverse to their direction of move ment, substantially as specified.

2. A veneer-drying machine having, in combination, adryin chamber casin ,means for carrying the strips or sheets 0 veneer through said chamber and retaining them in a flattened condition during their travel, and means for causing flow of air across the drying-chamber, first in one direction and then in the opposite direction, substantially as specified. 3. A veneer- 'ng machine having, in combination, a drying-chamber casin means for carryin the strips or sheets 0 veneer through sai chamber and maintaining them in a flattened condition durin their travel,

' and means for causing repeate reverse flows Work of the meof air across the drying-chamber, substantially as specified.

4. A veneer-drying machine having, in combination, a drymg-chamber casing, means for carrying the strlps or sheets of veneer throu h said chamber and maintaining them in a attened condition durin such travel, the heating-chamber on one si e of said casing, and means for drawing heated air from said chamber and forcing it across the d ingchamber in a direction transverse to t e direction of movement of the veneer, substantially as specified.

5. A veneer-drying machine, having, in combination, a drying-chamber casing, endless aprons having conveyer-runs for carrying strips or sheets of veneer through said chamber, heatin chambers on opposite sides of the casing, and means for drawing air from said chambers and forcin it across the heating-chamber and across th the aprons therein, first in one direction and then in the opposite direction, substantially as specified.

6. A veneer-drying apparatus, having, in combination, a drying-chamber casing, endless aprons having conveyer-runs carrying strips or sheets of veneer throu h said chamber, means for causing circu ation of air acrossthe chamber from side to side and ,means for Withdrawing air from the chamber at intervals 'inits length, substantially as specified.

7. A veneer-drying apparatus, having, in

less aprons havin conveyer-runs for carrying strips or sheets 0 veneer through said chamber, and slatted supports for said conveyerruns, substantially as specified.

8. A veneer-drying apparatus, having, in combination, a drying-chamber casing, endless aprons havin conveyer-runs for carrying strips or sheets 0 veneer through said chamber, slatted supports on one side of said conve ei runs and transverse rollers on the other si e of the same, substantially as specified.

9. A veneer-drying apparatus, having, in combination, a drying-chamber casing, end-. less aprons havin conveyer-runs for carrying strips or sheets 0 veneer through said chamber, and slatted supports for said convef erruns alternatingwith upper and lower ro lers between which said conveyer-runs pass at intervals, substantially as specified. In testimony whereof I have signed my name to this specification in the presence of two subscribin witnesses.

ALTER M. SCHWARTZ. Witnesses:

WALTER OHIsM, Jo's. KLEIN.

e conveyer-runs of combination, a drying-chamber casing, end- 

